Countless Dates
by Oishi24
Summary: They were not dating, were they?


A/N- Hello, I am here again. This one came out of nowhere. I hope you enjoy this.

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><p>"Have you had lunch yet?" Naru's voice came from right behind her, snapping Mai out of her reverie and making her jump out of her chair.<p>

Mia whirled around and came face to face with Naru. "God! Naru, you scared me," She accused, placing her hands on her waist and tried to ignore the fact Naru was literally invading her personal place.

"You wouldn't have been if you were not busy daydreaming," He retorted.

"I was not!" She was not. Not really. She was just musing about her love that still has not changed towards Naru. Or maybe it has. When he went to England after his reveal four years ago that he was Oliver Davis, Mai had gotten over the infatuation she had for him. She had gotten over her school girl with a crush stage and she had thought her heart was now safe.

She realised how wrong she was when Naru came back. Her crush on him might be long gone, but that feeling was replaced with love. Naru's return was not as Kazuya Shibuya but as Oliver Davis, which allowed her to know Naru properly this time. The reveal of Naru's all secrets helped her see Naru truly for the first time. She got to know the real Naru and before she could even understand what was happening, she found herself in love with him, for real this time.

"Mai." Naru's voice again jerked her out of her thoughts.

He was raising his eyebrow in a way that clearly said_ See, you are daydreaming._

She chose to ignore that, reminded herself that it's wise to pick her battles with Naru.

"What do you want? She asked him.

"Did you have lunch yet?"

"No."

"Good. Come with me."

With that, he picked up his coat and went out the door.

Mai stood there for sometime before shrugging and followed after him.

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><p><em>One month later…..<em>

"So, it finally happened, Mai, " Bou-san stated.

Again SPR was being used as a café, all the members present after solving a particularly gruesome case. Even Lin had come out of his Lair and seated with them. Only Naru was still locked up in his office.

Mai knitted her eyebrows together. "What happened?"

"You know," Bou-san raised an eyebrow in a fashion that eerily resembled Naru- guess he was rubbing off on everyone, "You and Naru. Together. Dating."

Mai blinked. Silence fell over the office and everyone watched Mai, waiting to see her reaction.

"WHAT?" Mai shouted.

"No need to shout Mai. I know you wanted to keep it a secret but it's pretty obvious you know," Ayako interjected. "What with you two always disappearing around noon and Naru walking you home every day, it's_ so_ obvious."

"No, it's not," Mai denied vehemently.

"It is," Ayako insisted.

"No! I mean how can it be obvious when we…we aren't dating," Mai answered, boggled out of her mind wondering what could have led the rest of SPR to such conclusion. True, Naru and her were going out for lunch all the time and he was dropping her home these days, but that was just act of kindness on his part, right? It did not mean anything to him. He was just taking care of his klutz of an assistant.

Lin's smiled has disappeared and was replaced with a grim look.

"Don't lie."

"I am not! Believe me."

"Then…."

"I really am not. I mean I am even going out on a date with another guy today," Mai offered as last resort.

"What? Who? What does he do? Where does he live?" Bou-san spoke up, the baffled expression he wore until then being replaced by concern and protective feelings for Mai.

"Calm down Bou-san. His name is Takumi Yoshida and he is a nice guy. No need to be concerned." He was truly. He was Michiru's boyfriend's best friend.

Michiru thought it would be nice, the classic 'best friend dates opposite sex's best friend'. She was harping on how cliché and romantic it would be, also believing this to be an effective way for Mai to get over Naru.

Mai, after trying to convince Michiru for the hundredth time that she has no interest whatsoever in Takumi, figured it would be easier to just go with the flow. Now, she has a date with him around seven in the evening. Mai was not willing to accept it herself, but somewhere in her, she was hoping Takumi would be someone who would be able to make her forget Naru.

She was brought out other thoughts when she noticed the silence that's settled in the office and looked around to notice everyone had their attention towards Naru's office- from which said Narcissist had come out and was…_wait what?_ Why was he glaring at her? Did he hear everything they had been talking about? Even if he did, why was he angry?

Moments passed in silence before Naru spoke, "Mai, Tea." He went back inside his cave, slamming the office door on the way.

Mai tried her best to ignore Naru's anger and his hurt expression. She was mistaken, the usually poker face Naru couldn't be hurt over her going on a date with someone- especially not enough to make his uncaring mask slip.

"What's his deal?" Mai asked, irritated with him. She concluded he was probably just having a bad day and was taking it out on her.

"Maybe he is jealous," Masako spoke up from behind her sleeves.

"No way." Mai scoffed.

"Whatever you say. Just know you are an idiot Mai," Masako shrugged, though she looked like she wanted to argue.

"Shut up Masako. Just when I think I almost like you." Mai made a tsk tsk sound, a smile forming on her lips. Long gone were the days when Masako's insults would make her see red with anger. It has been four years since they met and over time, she has grown used to Masako and her insults- often managing to detect the good intention behind her words. That didn't mean that Masako was still not selfish sometimes or Mai wasn't short tempered any more, but they did a better job of getting along of the point they were almost sisters like in their relationship.

Masako smiled in return.

It was only when afternoon had passed and Naru did not take her out for lunch like she has grown used to over the month that she wondered if something might be wrong indeed. She brushed off those thoughts. She needed to think less about Naru, stay away from him a little if she wanted the chance to ever fall in love again- not fill her head with thoughts of him.

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><p><em>Two day later….<em>

"He is still in a bad mood," Bou-san announced, dropping ungraciously on the sofa. Ayako followed suit.

"He is Naru. He is always in a bad mood," Mai shrugged, offering both of them their tea. For a change, they had informed her beforehand they were coming, enough to give her time to prepare tea for them along with Naru's.

"How was your date?" Ayako asked, not bothering to beat around the bush and got straight to the point.

"It was fine," Mai shrugged, again. Maybe she was trying a bit too hard to show that everything was rose and sunshine in Mai's world.

"Fine, eh? I have learned it means not going to see each other again in my experience," Bou-san said.

"Of course you do," Ayako snorted, clearly insinuating Houshou gets rejected quite often.

"Says the woman who hits on men half her age," Takigawa retorted.

"You are one to talk, you perv," Ayako shouted, hitting him on the head with her purse as usual.

Before both of them start fighting seriously, Mai spoke up, "You are right. He was great and all but it won't- it can't work."

"Because he isn't Naru," Ayako said, her playfulness gone out of her voice.

"He isn't." Mai nodded.

Unfortunately, this was the exact moment she again noticed Naru out of his lair and listening to their conversation.

"We are going out for lunch," Oliver ordered and without waiting for a reply, picked up his coat, walked over to the couch. He took Mai by the couch and literally dragged her out of SPR.

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><p>They sat on a table by the window. They might as well call it their table. After all, they have been coming at the exact café and sat on the exact table for the past four weeks.<p>

"What were you talking about with Takigawa-san and Matsuzaki-san before?" Naru asked without wasting time. Typical Naru.

"Nothing," Mai answered, reluctant to divulge any information to him.

"Mai." Naru's tone was condescending as always, the one that always made Mai feel either like an errant child or an idiot. Now, it made her feel like an errant child.

"Nothing of importance." She kept her voice cool.

"Mai." Maybe it was her imagination, but Naru's voice came out almost pleading.

She did not understand why it mattered to him. She could not understand what he would gain by embarrassing her like this, about her feelings when he so obviously knew she was still in love with him. But if he wanted to hear it from her mouth, she might as well come out and lay it all in the open for him. They have been tip toeing around the issue of her feelings for him for too long anyway.

"You want to know, Naru? Fine." Ma took a deep breath. "We were talking about Mai date with Takumi-kun. It was nice but it's not going to happen again-,'' Mai raised a hand when Naru opened his mouth-presumably to ask why – and continued,"Takumi is great. He is a really nice guy, but he is..he is..-," Mai forced her wandering eyes to fix on his face, brown eye met deep blue and she thought she saw hope in them," not you." Mai forced herself to finish.

"Excuse me, Naru, but I..I have to go home. I have some work to do. I trust it is okay to go home now, since there isn't really anything happening at SPR today?" Mai kept her voice calm, gathered her things and rushed out of the café, all the while pretending as if she did not just confessed to the Narcissist all over again.

"Mai !Mai!"

She heard Naru's voice behind her but chose to keep on walking.

Before she knew it, Naru had caught up with her. He tugged on her hand and she jerked back at the contact, colliding on his chest. Naru used his other hand to steady her by placing it on her waist.

She held on to his shoulder for support. Minutes ticked by and then Naru's lips descended on hers.

Mai pulled away, flustered. "But..Why?" She asked.

Naru sighed."For the past four weeks, why did you think I have been taking you out for lunch?"

"That's because-," She trailed off. Could it- Was it possible? Naru's been taking her out as a date?

Naru saw realization dawning on her face. He nodded to her unspoken question.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Mai asked, referring to her date with Takumi-kun.

"I thought you moved on," He answered simply. "That day, I realized you did not understand my intentions, but if you had already moved on, I thought what good would it do by burdening you with my feelings?"

Mai was horrified. She had hurt Naru so badly without realizing it. "I'm sorry," She murmured.

"It's okay. I deserved that."

"No, you did not," Mai insisted.

Choosing not to waste any more time, she stoop up on her tip toes and kissed him again.

Mai noted to herself to calculate those countless dates later.

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><p>Please, do review.<p> 


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